Nova Patents
US7477516B2

Air cooled computer chip

Summary by NHIP

Air Bearing Cooling Assembly

The assembly cools an electronic component using a rotating compressor, motor, and expander supported by air bearings on a thin film of air. This configuration maintains a contaminate free housing while directing cooling air from the expander outlet through a nozzle to the component.

Claim Score by NHIP

Read claim 1, the broadest

Abstract

A cooling assembly includes a housing supporting a nozzle for directing cooling air over an electronic component. A casing rotatably supports a shaft, which in turn, supports a compressor, an expander, and an electric motor, for circulating air and delivering the cooling air to the nozzle. The assembly is distinguished by air bearings supporting the shaft in the casing on a thin film of air, thereby maintaining a contaminate free housing.

US7477516B2, drawing sheet 1
Sheet 1 of 6

Term

Projected expiry 17 April 2027.

  1. Priority and filed
  2. Granted
  3. Today
  4. Projected expiry

13 claims: 2 independent, 11 dependent

  1. 1
    Broadest claimClaim Score 55, average(NHIP)A cooling assembly for cooling an electronic component with direct air comprising;a housing, at least one electronic component disposed in said housing, a nozzle supported in said housing for directing cooling air over said electronic component, an open air cycle cooling unit disposed in said housing for supplying the cooling air to said nozzle, said cooling unit including a casing and a compressor rotatably supported by said casing for moving air, wherein said casing includes opposite casing ends and a casing axis extending therebetween, a shaft extending along said casing axis between said shaft and said compressor being supported on said shaft, said air bearings being between said shaft and said casing, air bearings supporting said compressor in said casing on a thin film of air for maintaining a contaminate free housing, an electric motor disposed in said casing for rotating said shaft, and an expander supported on said shaft for reducing pressure of air that flows through said expander.
  2. 13
    A cooling assembly for cooling electronic components with direct air comprising;a housing of metal and having a generally rectangular periphery to define four corners and including a housing bottom and a housing top with spaced and parallel side walls being solid and extending between said housing bottom and said housing top, said housing having opposite housing ends and a housing axis with said housing bottom and said side walls and said housing top extending axially between said housing ends to define an air entrance at one of said housing ends and an air exit at the other of said housing ends to allow the flow of air through said housing, an entrance plate of metal and disposed at said air entrance and having a plurality of entrance apertures for the flow of air through said air entrance, an exit plate of metal and disposed at said air exit and having a plurality of exit apertures for the flow of air through said air exit, a first electronics box disposed at a first corner adjacent a first side wall and said air entrance for providing electric signals to said assembly, a second electronics box disposed at a second corner adjacent said first side wall and said air exit for providing electric signals to said assembly, a plurality of electronic components disposed within said housing, said components including a mother board disposed on said housing bottom, said components including a plurality of circuits disposed on said mother board, said components including a plurality of electronic chips disposed on said mother board, a plurality of cold plates having a plurality of heat transfer fins disposed on said chips, an open air cycle cooling unit disposed in said housing for cooling the air that cools said electronic components, said cooling unit including a plurality of fans disposed side-by-side between said second electronics box and a second side wall and parallel to said exit plate for moving air through said exit plate, said cooling unit including a heat exchanger for cooling air and disposed between said plurality of fans and said exit plate and including a heat exchanger inlet and a heat exchanger outlet for the flow air through said heat exchanger, said cooling unit including a casing having opposite casing ends and a casing axis extending parallel to said housing axis and supported on said housing bottom between said plurality of fans and said air entrance, a shaft being rotatably supported along said casing axis between said casing ends, a compressor mounted on said shaft at the one of said casing ends nearer said air entrance and having a compressor inlet and a compressor outlet for compressing air, a expander mounted on said shaft at the one of said casing ends nearer said air exit and having an expander inlet and an expander outlet for reducing the pressure of air that flows through said expander and for rotating said shaft, an electric motor disposed between said compressor and said expander in said casing for rotating said shaft, said cooling unit including a nozzle having a nozzle inlet and a plurality of nozzle outlets disposed over said cold plates for distributing air over said cold plates, a first air tube interconnecting said compressor outlet to said heat exchanger inlet for the flow of air therebetween, a second air tube interconnecting said heat exchanger outlet to said expander inlet for the flow of air therebetween, a third air tube interconnecting said expander outlet to said nozzle inlet for the flow of air therebetween, and air bearings supporting said shaft on a thin film of air for maintaining a contaminate free air stream, said air bearings including a plurality of journal bearings for supporting the radial load of said shaft and a plurality of thrust bearings for supporting the axial load of said shaft.
Independent claims2